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Does overfeeding = gas?

My LO obviously needs to suck. I have been nursing when she shows cues of needing to nurse/suck. My LO also has frequent gas. My mother and MIL think she needs a paci. We tried and tried, and baby girl won't accept the paci. She does suck on her fist from time to time, but would prefer the breast.

Now, my Mom and MIL have convinced each other that I'm overfeeding the baby I shouldn't feed her every time she needs to suck because it's the cause of her gas.

I've seen conflicting info online. Some sources say you can overfeed a baby and other say you can't overfeed a breastfed baby...

Do you all have any insight into the gas and/or overfeeding?
BTW, the wet & dirty nappies are on track, but her gas does make her fussy.

Re: Does overfeeding = gas?

Nope, you can't overfeed a breastfed baby. You are not in charge of the baby's intake when you breastfeed. The baby is. When the baby is hungry, she suckles eagerly, stimulating a rapid flow of milk. When she is no longer hungry and is suckling primarily for comfort, the milk flow slows to a trickle or stops altogether. This is different from bottle-feeding. When a baby is bottle-fed, the adult is in charge of the feeding. The bottle delivers the same rapid flow of milk regardless of whether the baby is sucking for nutrition or for comfort. As the baby stops suckling actively, the adult will often encourage the baby to take just a bit more, to finish the bottle or to make sure the baby is really full.

So, no, you can't overfeed.

But what about the gassiness? I wouldn't blame that on breastfeeding, either, unless you happen to have an oversupply of milk (which can cause a baby to become gassy due to the high lactose content of the foremilk) or unless your baby has some sort of allergy or intolerance to something you are eating (in which case you'd likely see some other symptoms, such as green and mucousy poops).

ETA: did your mom and MIL formula-feed their kids? If so, take their advice with a grain of salt. The way formula-fed babies eat and the way breastfed babies eat is very different, and in addition medical advice has changed a lot in the last generation or so.

Re: Does overfeeding = gas?

I am so glad I saw this post. I am having the same trouble with my DD. She is 2 1/2 weeks old and eats every 3 - 4 hours. She gets really gassy at night and I stay engorged. This would be oversupply if I am correct. How do I fix this problem because I have been pumping since I am a school teacher and will be returning to work when the summer is up and am afraid the milk I have already stored is going to cause her and the babysitter heart ache. I want to make sure she is getting the fats she needs but she sleeps a lot and only eats if we wake her and usually at the 3-4 hour mark instead of the 2-3 hour mark and I am soooo full she ends up getting sick because she tries to empty my fullness.

Married Collage Sweetheart June 30, 2007
Started Student Teaching Spring 2008
Graduated May 3 2008
Gave Birth to Ethan Bradley May 20, 2008 & for 14 monthsGave Birth to Penelope Star June 22, 2011 & & cloth diapers all the way with this one

Re: Does overfeeding = gas?

Wow, sounds like you are having a hard time. Sorry Is there any reasons you can't tell them to back off? I bet if you were doing formula they would be telling you to switch brands or something. I personally don't see how a pacified would help gas, if anything wouldn't it make it worse for all the sucking to be sucking in more air?

Also my son has lots of gas, I give him mylicon gas drops, they are not absorbed by the body so you can give them every feeding. They just break down air bubbles in the stomach.

I recommend this massage for gas, it works wonders! Sometimes I just do the leg pump thing and my son loves it, grunts, and the gas just explodes out lol....it says it for colic but I do it a couple of times a day when he starts squirming like its gas, not every diaper change like it says since I'm just using it for gas. http://www.llli.org/nb/nbjanfeb98p13.html. my mil saw me doing this and was so surprised it worked, now when he bunches up his legs and tightens up his belly she tells everyone he needs his special massage ! I hope some of these tips work for you!

Re: Does overfeeding = gas?

@mommal - my Mother did not BF any of her children. My MIL breastfed both her boys for 18 - 20 months.

I do have an oversupply and OALD that I've been working through by block feeding. I've been block feeding for about 2 weeks now and during let down, I take my LO off the breasts and wait until it's done shooting out before putting her back on. I usually try to burp her during let down. sometime she burps, sometime she doesn't.

@sarapunkinpie88 - Thanks for the links. I've sent them to my Mom & MIL. I've told them to get off my back, but they don't listen. They act like they're protecting my daughter from me and I'm protecting her from them..LoL. But how come we can't all just get along! hahahaha...smh.

Re: Does overfeeding = gas?

Sounds like you are doing a good job. I think each baby is different, so your Mom and MIL probably had different experiences. What you are experiencing is very similar to me so I think you are okay. A pacifier doesn't really help that I can tell, it just makes the crying during a gas attack a little easier :-) The breast is a good pacifier too I've heard. So I'd say try what works...if it comforts her I think the breast is great! My first did not ever like the pacifier, this one I tried a couple pacifiers and she has liked the 2nd kind (small kind - MAM). When she gets her gas attacks (i.e. arches her back and cries sporadically like a small pain is happening) it helps comfort her and cry a bit less but doesn't get rid of the gas at all...

I have OALD and oversupply and have been block feeding for a week or two, it makes feeding much nicer now and the baby has gotten used to my OALD I think.

I'm to the point now (just over 2 months) that I think she is growing and developing a bit more to make it easier. I tried pretty much everything and there is just a really long fussy gassy period every day in the evening from 5pm-midnight from an hour to up to 6 hours where she sleeps a little, cries a bit, eats sporadically and needs a lot of comfort. Nothing really fixes it, I just try all the methods to lessen her discomfort, distract her, and comfort her. It used to be every night but now it's every 2 or 3 nights instead and the periods of fussiness are shorter so it seems to have gotten better for me.

I'd keep doing exactly what you are doing. Block feed, try a pacifier if it helps or use the breast to comfort, massage, use mylicon if it helps (didn't for me), use gripe water if it helps (seems to help a bit for me too), and count the days...it's amazing how fast babies develop, you'll forget all about this difficult time in a few months! Also, my baby loves a warm bath too. I don't know if it's the distraction or helps the gas or what but it seems to work on bad days.

Re: Does overfeeding = gas?

I think some babies may just be gassier than others regardless of the feeding situation. My little guy was blowing massive gas at two days old. The first time it happened, I thought it was my husband; how could such a tiny, tiny baby make a noise that loud?! As mentioned above, bicycling his legs, rubbing his tummy, gripe water, and a warm bath all worked for us. He's seven months now and is still gassy, but he can definitely handle it much better now that he's bigger. His gas even makes him laugh sometimes now, which is pretty hilarious.

Our pediatrician and his entire team of residents (we are at a research/teaching hospital and we see a new resident in addition to our pediatrician about twice each visit) are always reminding me that you cannot over feed a breastfed baby. My little guy is FAT, so at each visit, without fail, we get initial surprise at his weight from one of the doctors, then "well, that's okay - you can't over feed as long as you are breastfeeding." So, about 20-30 doctors here agree - don't worry about over feeding.